Derby favorite Pearl Green tightened his grip on the Macau Triple Crown when he made light work of his opposition in Sunday’s Group 1 Macau Guineas, the second leg of the Triple Crown run over 1500 metres.

With Brazilian Manoel Nunes in the saddle, Pearl Green enjoyed the run of the race behind the pace maker Winter Snow (Roger Yu), before peeling off his back at the top of the straight to race away for the easiest of wins. Winter Snow stuck on well for second a short head in front of Luen On Treasure (Oscar Chavez) in third.

Sunday’s victory was pretty much a replay of the first leg of the Crown the 4YO Derby Prelude from March 4, when Pearl Green destroyed his rivals winning by four and a half lengths.

The way its shaping up it would take nothing short of a catastrophe for Pearl Green not to claim the Triple Crown, and in doing so he will become only the second horse in the Club’s history to win it.

Manoel Nunes fresh from a winning double at Seoul the day before, jetted in specially to ride Pearl Green and will be back to ride the bay on Derby day July 28.

Nunes won the Macau Triple Crown back in 2010 on Luen Yat Forever. A second Macau Triple Crown would put Nunes in a very unique position. At the tender age of 22 years he won the Brazilian Triple Crown on the grey Champion Quari Bravo in 1997.

He has also won the SJM Macau Derby three times to date with Doppio (2005), Sunshine Sure Win (2009) and Luen Yat Forever (2010) making him the most successful jockey in the history of the race.

Pearl Green is a son of Fastnet Rock (Aus) and has been a real bargain buy for owner Mr. Chan Ming Wing who bought the horse on the advice of trainer K H Leong.

As a yearling colt Pearl Green was purchased for $460,000 Aud. at the 2015 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale. The colt was named Meadow Lane and placed in the care of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott. After failing dismally in two barrier trials the bay was gelded and placed on the market and was quickly snapped up by K H Leong for the modest sum of $55,000 Aud.

After Sundays win Pearl Greens record stands at 12 starts for seven wins four seconds with one unplaced effort. The four year old already has returned his owner over $1.5 million HKD in prize money.

Luen On Dance Kid is another that has been a real steal for his owner Mr. Thomas Lau with the chestnut making three wins from only four starts with a bob of the heads victory in the Class 3 & 4 over 1200 metres.

In a deceiving finish Luen On Dance Kid ridden by Ruan Maia lifted his nose up at just the right time to claim victory from Northern Legend (Manoel Nunes), who was being hailed the winner after coming with an explosive finish down the outside of the track.

Prepared by Geoff Allendorf, Luen On Dance Kid is a son of Snitzel (Aus) from the Sadler’s Wells mare Dance My Dance and was originally purchased by the China Horse Club for $180,000 NZD at the 2016 Karaka Premier Yearling Sales. The colt was named Dance Corp and had two trials for Team Snowden in Sydney and failing badly before sent to Kris Lees at Newcastle.

After being gelded the chestnut won a barrier trial at Newcastle then went through the Magic Million Tried Horse sale last October where Geoff Allendorf picked him up for the bargain price of $14,000 Aud.

The three year old won at his first two starts and then was a good thing beaten at his third outing when he suffered severe interference at the start, before turning in a mighty effort to pick himself up and run third to the speedy Chapman Way only beaten two and a quarter lengths.

The ride of the day surely must go to Irishman Wayne Smith who produced a superb front running ride to get a strong 1800 metres out of the K C Chong prepared Wonder Holy in the Class 2 & 3 Handicap.

Wonder Holy the rank outsider at 40/1, had eight previous attempts at the distance for two seconds and had always been suspect at the trip. Not so on Sunday when he was perfectly rated in the lead by Smith, who then stayed as quiet as a mouse when he was joined at the top of the straight by race favorite Ready Fire and Lucky Today. It was only inside the two hundred that Smith got to work and the six year old Irish bred gelding booted away for a strong two lengths win.